why did ccm drop ovechkin?

This just in from TSN's Rick Westhead, CCM Hockey has made the decision to drop superstar Alex Ovechkin and other Russian NHLers from its marketing materials in response to Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.

CCM Hockey will stop using Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin and other Russian NHL players in any global marketing initiatives, the company said late Monday.

CCM chief executive Marrouane Nabih said the equipment company made the decision following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last week.

“We are very sad to witness, like the rest of the world, what is happening in Ukraine,” Nabih wrote in an email to TSN. “Although Mr. Ovechkin is not responsible for the Russian government’s actions, we took the decision to not use him (or any Russian player) on any global CCM communication at this point.”

Nabih did not respond to subsequent questions about CCM’s contracts with Ovechkin and other Russian players, including

Pittsburgh Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin and Capitals defenceman Dmitry Orlov.

In 2017, three years after Russia annexed the Crimea region of Ukraine, Ovechkin campaigned for Russian president Vladimir Putin, starting a social movement called “Putin Team.”

“Be a part of this team,” Ovechkin wrote in an Instagram post at the time. “To me it’s a privilege, it’s like the feeling of when you put on the jersey of the Russian team, knowing that the whole country is rooting for you.”

In a press conference on Feb. 25, Ovechkin was asked whether he still supported Putin and whether he would condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “Like, I’m Russian, right?” Ovechkin said. “Sometimes some things I can’t control. You know, it’s not in my hands… Please, no more war. It doesn’t matter who is in the war, Russia, Ukraine, different countries... We have to live in peace and a great world.”

Asked about his support of Putin, Ovechkin responded, "He's my president, but I'm not in politics. I'm an athlete."

Ovechkin has been among CCM’s most visible pitchmen. The Montreal-based company pays Ovechkin more than $500,000 per year plus a percentage of its sales within Russia, said an industry source who is familiar with the matter.

CCM, which also has endorsement contracts with Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews, first began as an Ontario bicycle manufacturer in 1899. As hockey began more popular, the company pivoted and began producing ice skates.

It's unclear whether the Capitals will change their approach to marketing Ovechkin in their home market, one of the largest U.S. media markets. A team spokesman did not respond to a request for comment.

Ovechkin used CCM products early in his NHL career and, after working as a spokesman for Bauer Hockey for years, returned to CCM in 2017 when he signed a long-term deal with the company.

Even if it stops featuring Ovechkin and other Russian players in ads, the industry source said it’s unlikely that CCM would try to end its contracts with those players.

CCM Hockey, an equipment and apparel brand based in Canada, will no longer use Russian star and Washington Capitals left winger Alex Ovechkin or any other Russian in global marketing campaigns to promote its products.

TSN reported that CCM also has contracts with Pittsburgh Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin and Capitals defenseman Dmitry Orlov.

"We are very sad to witness, like the rest of the world, what is happening in Ukraine," chief executive Marrouane Nabih wrote in an email to TSN. "Although Mr. Ovechkin is not responsible for the Russian government’s actions, we took the decision to not use him (or any Russian player) on any global CCM communication at this point."

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TSN, citing an anonymous industry source, reported that CCM pays Ovechkin more than $500,000 per year in addition to a percentage of sales in Russia for the partnership.

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Ovechkin has previously supported Russian president Vladimir Putin, but said on Friday that his country's invasion of Ukraine was a "hard situation" before deflecting further comment and saying he was an athlete and not involved in politics.

"It’s a hard situation. I have lots of friends in Russia and Ukraine, and it’s hard to see the war," he told reporters on Friday. "I hope soon it’s going to be over and there’s going to be peace in the whole world."

When asked about his current stance on Putin after the invasion, Ovechkin reiterated his support, with some caveats.

"He’s my president but … I’m not in politics," he said Friday. "I’m an athlete and how I said, I hope everything is going to be done soon. It’s a hard situation right now for both sides. ... I'm not in control of the situation."

In 2017, however, Ovechkin started a social media movement called Putin Team during the Russian leader's re-election campaign. The Instagram post included a photo of him and Putin.

"Being part of this team makes me proud and it's similar to the feeling you get when you put on a Russian national team jersey, knowing that the whole country is rooting for you," he wrote then in Russian.

CCM Hockey and MassMutual will no longer use Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin in promotional campaigns following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The news was first reported by TSN’s Rick Westhead and ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski.

CCM Hockey, who signed Ovechkin to an endorsement deal in Oct. 2017, is also dropping other Russian NHL players.

“Although Mr. Ovechkin is not responsible for the Russian government’s actions, we took the decision to not use him (or any Russian player) on any global CCM communication at this point,” CCM Hockey chief executive Marrouane Nabih said in a statement to TSN.

The MassMutual featuring Ovechkin, his wife, Anastasia Shubskaya, and his Capitals teammate Nicklas Backstrom began running in October. The company said “the ad is no longer on the air” and it has also been pulled from its YouTube page.

The 36-year-old Ovechkin, who hails from Moscow, has expressed support for Russian President Vladimir Putin in the past, including being a part of PutinTeam, a social movement that began in 2017. As one of the country’s high-profile athletes, he has had a good relationship with Putin for a some time.

Ovechkin commented last week on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine by pleading, “Please, no more war,” and added “we have to live in peace and a great world.”

When asked if he continues to support Putin, Ovechkin said that he is an athlete, not a politician.

“Well, he is my president,” Ovechkin said. “But, I am not in politics. I am an athlete, and you know, how I said, I hope everything is going to be done soon. It’s hard situation right now for both sides and everything, like how I said, everything I hope is going to be end. I’m not in control of this situation.”

Agent Dan Milstein, who represents a number of Russian- and Belarusian-born players like Nikita Kucherov, Andrei Vasilevskiy, and Ilya Sorokin, told ESPN this week that his clients have been facing an increase level of harassment.

“The discrimination and racism these Russian and Belarusian players are facing right now is remarkable,” Milstein said. “We’re being set back 30 years. I have players calling me, parents calling me. They’re concerned whether they’ll be able to play, whether they’ll be safe.”

The NHL expressed concern for its players from Russia in a statement this week that also noted the league is suspending relationships with business partners from the country and putting a halt to its Russian language social media and digital websites.

“The National Hockey League condemns Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and urges a peaceful resolution as quickly as possible,” it said.

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CCM Hockey will stop using Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin and other Russian NHL players in any global marketing initiatives, the company said late Monday.

CCM chief executive Marrouane Nabih said the equipment company made the decision following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last week.

“We are very sad to witness, like the rest of the world, what is happening in Ukraine,” Nabih wrote in an email to TSN. “Although Mr. Ovechkin is not responsible for the Russian government’s actions, we took the decision to not use him (or any Russian player) on any global CCM communication at this point.”

Nabih did not respond to subsequent questions about CCM’s contracts with Ovechkin and other Russian players, including

Pittsburgh Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin and Capitals defenceman Dmitry Orlov.

In 2017, three years after Russia annexed the Crimea region of Ukraine, Ovechkin campaigned for Russian president Vladimir Putin, starting a social movement called “Putin Team.”

“Be a part of this team,” Ovechkin wrote in an Instagram post at the time. “To me it’s a privilege, it’s like the feeling of when you put on the jersey of the Russian team, knowing that the whole country is rooting for you.”

In a press conference on Feb. 25, Ovechkin was asked whether he still supported Putin and whether he would condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “Like, I’m Russian, right?” Ovechkin said. “Sometimes some things I can’t control. You know, it’s not in my hands… Please, no more war. It doesn’t matter who is in the war, Russia, Ukraine, different countries... We have to live in peace and a great world.”

Asked about his support of Putin, Ovechkin responded, "He's my president, but I'm not in politics. I'm an athlete."

Ovechkin has been among CCM’s most visible pitchmen. The Montreal-based company pays Ovechkin more than $500,000 per year plus a percentage of its sales within Russia, said an industry source who is familiar with the matter.

CCM, which also has endorsement contracts with Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews, first began as an Ontario bicycle manufacturer in 1899. As hockey began more popular, the company pivoted and began producing ice skates.